# Microsoft Office Outlook emailer pop-up **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 2, 2006, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132 "2006-06-02T11:14:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132/1 "2006-06-02T11:14:18Z")
At my work computer I [and others in the department] are getting an annoying pop-up. "A program is trying to access e-mail addresses you have stored in Outlook. Do you want to allow this? If this is unexpected, it may be a virus and you should choose “No” [checkbox] Allow access for [pulldown menu varying from 1-10 minutes] [yes] [no] [help]" It started a few weeks back, and the ITS at work are baffled. Anybody know what the heck this is and how to disable it? MAybe a linky to the Micro$narf online infoblurb about it? ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132/2 "2006-06-02T13:20:17Z")
If this is unexpected, it may be a virus. You should choose no. What version of Outlook is it? Was a service pack recently installed? Is there something you are consistently doing when it pops up? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 3:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132/3 "2006-06-03T03:17:20Z")
> [@yoyodyne](#): > > If this is unexpected, it may be a virus. You should choose no. > > What version of Outlook is it? Was a service pack recently installed? Is there something you are consistently doing when it pops up? Hm, I work in customer service in a service broker situation [ah, hell. I work for Oakleaf Waste Management, I get paid to talk trash 😃] The way we are set up is the main database is in Access, and when we do certain things [like queue a call log to certain departments or fax using satisFAXion through office and outlook] it automatically generates emails. This is what is triggering the popups, it isnt a virus. I would assume that corporate geeks run updates to wincrap as required, and we are pretty much not online for the most part. I have one of the very rare non-it internet enabled computers at work and only use it on 3 or 4 fairly restricted sites for special projects - at our level we get pretty much no noninternal email. IT is pretty scrupulous about virus checking and protecting the system, almost anally so. I am thinking it is someting in the registry, which might mean a service pack issue. This silly popup is exclusively an issue with the net satisFAXion and queue notifications that are automated in our work setup. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132/4 "2006-06-03T14:06:10Z")
That behavior is a feaure of Outlook designed to prevent malware from mining your address book / Contacts for addresses to propagate itself to. This Microsoft KB details what’s going on [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262631/](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262631/). Scroll down about 2/3rds to the “New Programmability Behavior” heading. This has info for your IT folks on how to make setup changes that may resolve your issue [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263297/EN-US/](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263297/EN-US/). I say “may” because as I read it, the behavior cannot be turned off if you’re using Outlook as POP3 client (ie get your mail from an outside ISP). Your Outlook must be connected to a central Exchange server to adjust the behaviors. If you are using POP3, more research by your IT folks might be able to find a way to do what you want, but I’m not optimistic. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/microsoft-office-outlook-emailer-pop-up/359132/5 "2006-06-04T00:03:16Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > That behavior is a feaure of Outlook designed to prevent malware from mining your address book / Contacts for addresses to propagate itself to. > > This Microsoft KB details what’s going on [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262631/](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/262631/). Scroll down about 2/3rds to the “New Programmability Behavior” heading. > > This has info for your IT folks on how to make setup changes that may resolve your issue [http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263297/EN-US/](http://support.microsoft.com/kb/263297/EN-US/). > > I say “may” because as I read it, the behavior cannot be turned off if you’re using Outlook as POP3 client (ie get your mail from an outside ISP). Your Outlook must be connected to a central Exchange server to adjust the behaviors. > > If you are using POP3, more research by your IT folks might be able to find a way to do what you want, but I’m not optimistic. OOOo =) thanks=) we aren’t using POP3 so there is hope=)